thickest

Thickest is the superlative form of the adjective thick. Thick describes objects with a substantial distance between their two faces, a high degree of density, or a heavy, viscous consistency. The word thickest therefore conveys the greatest such property within a defined group or context, and it can apply to physical dimensions, layers, or qualitative measures of viscosity or density.

Formation and usage: In English, the standard way to form the superlative of a one-syllable adjective like thick is by adding -est, yielding thickest. It can be used attributively ("the thickest book on the shelf") or predicatively ("the ice is thickest at the center of the floe"). In contexts where multiple comparisons are implied, speakers may specify the reference group, or use "the most thick" rarely.

Contexts: Thickness is a geometric dimension measured perpendicular to a surface; thickness is used in building, manufacturing, and geology. In fluids and pastes, "thick" describes viscosity or consistency; the "thickest" sample is the one with the greatest resistance to flow. In everyday language, "thickest" may describe fog, soup, or hair, among others.

Notes: "Thick" has several related senses beyond mere measurement of a dimension; the term is often relative and dependent on the comparison set. The antonym is thinnest; synonyms include dense, bulky, or stout in some senses.